Jared Goff is a winner. Whether or not that's off his own talent or the foundations built around him will continue to be up for debate for the rest of his career, even if he gets to hoist a Lombardi trophy in the future. The fact of the matter is, teams that start Goff at quarterback are reliably above .500. That could change on Sunday.
If Goff starts the Detroit Lions' season finale against the Chicago Bears and loses, it will mark the first time in Goff's NFL career he has led a team to a below .500 record outside of his first season with that team. It will also be Goff's first losing season in which he started every possible game, while also being his first regular-season finale loss since his rookie season.
Goff also had a losing season in his first collegiate season at the University of California, Berkeley, where he finished with a 1-11 record. Goff did have a losing record in his sophomore season at 5-7, but led the Cal Bears to a bowl win in his 8-5 final season, which propelled him to the #1 pick of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams.
Prior to his time at Cal, Goff did not have a losing season in high school, going 39-4 at Marin Catholic High School (CA) after the school went 19-16 in the three years before his arrival.
A losing record with the Lions this season would be the moldy cherry on top of a tumultuous season for the team. Their streak of winning seasons would end at three, and they would finish last in the NFC North for the first time since Goff's first season with the team, where they finished with a 3-13-1 record.
Regardless of how Sunday's game against the Bears plays out, Goff will enter an offseason where his ability to lead is in question more than it ever has been with the Lions. Whether or not that's deserved will be the leading offseason debate, but it's a humbling experience for Goff, nonetheless. One that should help motivate him to get better next season in order to avoid another losing season.
Goff deserves some grace for his losing seasons
Goff's first losing season in the NFL was his rookie year in 2016. The Rams, led by head coach Jeff Fisher, were terrible, and Goff was even worse. Goff had a 0-7 record that season, throwing for more interceptions (7) than touchdowns (5). The Rams and Goff both turned their fortunes around after Fisher was fired after that season, hiring Sean McVay, who remains the coach of the Rams to this day. Goff finished his Rams' tenure with a 42-27 record along with an appearance in Super Bowl LIII in a narrative-shaping losing effort.
Goff's second losing season came after his fallout with McVay led to him being traded to the Lions for Matthew Stafford. Goff, adjusting to a new city, franchise, and head coach, was mediocre at best. Goff threw 19 TDs to 8 INTs, but got off to a slow start under offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn, who lost his play-calling duties midseason. Sound familiar? Goff steadily improved under Ben Johnson, ending his season on a high note after helping prevent the first-ever 0-17 season. Goff would go on to lead the Lions to their first playoff win in over 30 years two seasons later against his former Rams team.
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If the Lions walk away from this season with a losing record, it will likely be more despite Goff than because of him. Despite injuries, shaky play-calling, and terrible offensive line play, Goff has played overall really well. Goff is currently in the top three in passing yards (4,233, third), passing TDs (33, second), and passer rating (107.0, third). Goff is also fifth in completion percentage (68.3%) and third among QBs who have started every game.
Goff is not immune to criticism or blame for the way this season turned out. Far from it. His games against the Philadelphia Eagles and the Christmas Day game versus the Minnesota Vikings are clear evidence of his flaws. However, in a season that could easily be described as the perfect recipe for a sharp regression out of Goff, he instead continued playing at the high level he has in recent seasons. He at least deserves respect and credit for that, for however much that's worth in a potential losing season.